Airport deal keeps firm flying high

A manufacturer has won a major deal to supply one of the world's biggest airports.

Texane, of Market Harborough, has secured an order to supply thousands of its super tough polyurethane wheels for baggage conveyor belts at Gatwick Airport.

Gatwick handles 34.2 million passengers a year and, behind its 346 check-in desks, baggage is transported by the container load on conveyors, so Texane's wheels will help keep the airport moving.

The company, which has 10 staff at its factory in Welland Business Park, is supplying the wheels to Japanese-owned baggage handling machine company Daifuku Logan, which has its UK operation in Hull, and won the Gatwick contract.

Texane owner and managing director Arnab Dutt said the deal was worth around £50,000.

He said: "This is great news for the whole team at Texane, and another example of our products being trusted to drive vital systems in airports and beyond."

Texane's products had to undergo rigorous testing, running 24 hours a day at high speed for months.

Its wheels are used in airports and transport systems worldwide, to run travelators and escalators.

Earlier this year, it announced a £410,000 contract to supply the super tough polyurethane wheels for travelators at Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Paris.

That was through a deal with its French partner SEDIS, which manufactures the chains that work alongside the wheels.

Mr Dutt said: "Ours is a British product and we've built up a reputation for making very, very resilient products.

"They are not cheap but they last. One of our biggest new markets is Germany, so if they are happy with what we make we know we are doing something right.

"We have also been exported to China which is also great news.

"Everyone is telling British manufacturers to export, which is just what we are doing.

"We are selling into subway and metro systems like New York, Washington and Paris so, although we are a small company, millions of people rely on our products.

"We have invested a lot in new machinery and research and development, and hope to take advantage of the upturn in the economy."

Mr Dutt, who has owned Texane since 1999, said the business turns over around £1 million but believes that will grow by between 25 and 30 per cent in the next year or so.

The company makes and exports a range of polyurethane components with applications ranging from motor sport to the railway industry, oil and gas companies and agricultural machinery.